Photo by Joe Lovell Martins Ferry’s Baron Lucey runs away from an Indian Creek defender during Friday’s game at the Dave Bruney Football Complex.

MARTINS FERRY — In Justin Kropka’s first year back at his alma mater as head coach, Martins Ferry had a mere 17 players sign up in the spring. Twenty-two dressed for the Bellaire game in week 10.

However, fast forward 12 months and the Purple Riders have 60, yes, 60 kids in uniform. A dozen of those are seniors, with eight juniors listed. There are 21 sophomores and 19 freshmen.

“I was very much concerned about our numbers last season. There were times when I didn’t know if we would even have a team,” Kropka stressed. “We had a great group of seniors that played well above their talent level. They laid the foundation for what we want Martins Ferry football to be down the road.

“To have 60 kids on the roster this season is beyond even my wildest dreams,” he continued. “Last year went better than I had thought it would. We’re still miles away but we’re ahead of where I thought we would be.

“Last year was year zero,” Kropka continued. “We took baby steps. To me, this is year one. It feels like we are a year away yet because we’ve got 25-30 kids who are close. They just need another year of seasoning. I couldn’t be any happier and thrilled with the direction the program is headed.”

He said the jump in numbers is a testimony to the other coaches at Martins Ferry.

“We recruited the hallways and a lot of these kids have never played football,” Kropka noted. “But a big thanks also goes out to boys’ basketball coach Derek Edwards, baseball coach Anthony Reasbeck and wrestling coach Greg Ware. Everyone supports us in the school system. It’s great.”

Kropka also said the junior high has 45 kids out this fall.

Offensively, the Purple Riders return four key parts in senior wide receiver Baron Lucey (5-9, 170) and three juniors, led by quarterback Ayden Ludolph (5-9, 180); running back Tev’n Williams (5-11, 185); and tight end/wide receiver Alex Reese (6-6, 220).

“Those four guys have already established themselves,” Kropka said. “They’ve played well so far during their careers and we are expecting big things from all of them this season.”

Ludolph, a lefty, is fully recovered from an ankle injury that hampered him in the last five games of 2022.

“He has improved leaps and bounds,” Kropka said of his signal-caller. “He’s your typical dual-threat quarterback. I’m excited about the steps he has taken. This will also be the first time he has had the same system in back-to-back seasons.

“Ayden hurt his ankle in the middle of last season and I wanted to take him out,” Kropka recalled. “But he didn’t want to come out and played pretty much on just one leg. However, I think because of that, he became a better passer because he didn’t have two legs to let him run.”

Ludolph is backed up by freshman Colby Kropka (5-10, 165), son of the head coach.

Williams ran wild as a sophomore and Kropka hopes to see more from him this season.

“We can, and probably will, line Tev’n up all over the place in an attempt to utilize his speed and quickness,” Kropka explained. “He can run with power and has really good speed and hands.”

Other running backs are seniors Kaden Archer (5-9, 175); junior Jase Mahoney (5-7, 150); sophomores Cole Kennedy (5-10, 180), Luca Shane (5-10, 170), Cy Booth (5-9, 195), Joseph Turner (5-9, 170) and Kaden Holmes (5-8, 150); and freshman Cole Patterson (5-9, 150).

When Ludolph takes to the air, he will look for Lucey and Reese, as well as a number of other options.

“Baron did a good job at filling in for Ayden last year at quarterback, but we hope to keep him on the outside where he has very good hands and deceiving speed,” Kropka said. “He’s been a big part of our growth.”

Reese is already drawing NCAA Division I attention due to his size and athleticism.

“Alex can play a variety of positions,” Kropka added. “We’ve only scratched the surface of his talents. He is going to have a good career.”

Also vying for playing time are seniors Turner Krol (6-1, 160) and Carter Bennett (6-2, 170); junior Beau Charlton (6-1, 175); sophomores Maurice Barnett (5-9, 150), Chuckie Thompson (5-5, 130), Jermale Thompson (6-1, 160) and Gavin Mulvey (6-1, 160); and freshmen Keenan Lucey (5-10, 155), Hunter Shutler (5-8, 150), Gavin Little (6-0, 150), Aiden Possage (6-0, 150), Ayden Mercer (5-8, 140), Michael Shaw (5-9, 155), Parker Conter (5-9, 150) and Christian Shutler (5-6 150).

Backing up Reese at tight end are seniors David Maguire (6-3, 220) and Matt Kennedy (5-10, 165); sophomores Santino DeArdo (6-0, 180), Nate Wasemann (6-0, 195) and Wesley Sarko (5-11, 170); and freshman Jacob Theaker (6-1, 175).

“We’ve got four or five freshmen receivers that, if you give them a year, we are very high on,” Kropka said. “A couple of them might see time this year.”

The offensive line play will likely dictate how the Purple Riders fare as they graduated four starters.

Senior Travis Trout (5-11, 270) is the lone returning starter, although some others saw varsity time. He will man the left tackle and line up next to senior Andrew Leiffer (5-10, 190). The center will be sophomore Ethan Palmer (5-9, 180). On the right side are senior Shayden Fogle (5-9, 190) at guard and classmate Cam Beasley (5-10, 210) at tackle.

“We are very inexperienced across the front line,” Kropka acknowledged. “We’ve got two freshmen and three sophomores in our top eight. The more reps they get, the better they will get. We’re taking small steps with them.”

Two of those freshmen are Malachi Giles (6-0, 240) and R.J. Welshans (5-10, 170).

“They have both looked good in camp so far,” the head coach said.

Others listed are senior Nisiah Carthen (5-11, 250); juniors Tayson Palmer (5-10, 200), Jaxon Leonard (5-9, 185), Haiden Merrill (5-5, 165), Edward Arigoni (5-9, 155) and Braxton Norton (5-10, 245); sophomores Saquan Carthen (5-8, 245), Demitrious Ray (5-9, 275), Austin Violet (5-7, 170), Tyler Robinson (6-1, 215) and Michael Goff (6-0, 230); and freshmen Aiden Giffin (5-10, 160), Carter Stenger (5-10, 180), Zander DeLeau 5-10, 185); Konnor Horstman (5-10, 160), Elijah Zinn (5-10, 210), Alex Carpino (5-9, 250) and Ashton Duff (5-8, 165).

Defensively, Martins Ferry will employ the 4-4 alignment.

“We’re pretty basic when it comes to our defense, but any more you’ve got to use multiple fronts,” Kropka noted.

“We’ll do what we have to do to stop the opposition.”

Reese and Beasley will man the end spots with Wasemann, DeArdo and Theaker in the mix. Others in the mix are Kennedy Maguire and Sarko.

The tackles are Trout, Tayson Palmer, Giles and Tyler Robinson, with depth provided by Stebger, Merrill, DeLeau, Violet, Horstman, Zinn, Goff, Carpino, Arigoni, Ray, Nisiah Caerthen, Saquan Carthen, Braxton Norton, Ashton Duff and Aiden Giffin.

The inside linebackers are Leiffer and Fogle. Booth and Welshans are battling for playing time, as are Ethan Palmer and Leonard. On the outside are Archer, a returning starter, and Shane, a promising frosh. Turner, Charlton and Mahoney are also in the mix. Others include Hunter Shutler, Cole Patterson and Junje Lee (5-8, 165).

The Purple Riders secondary is well-stocked with Lucey returning as a third team all-Ohioan. He can play both cornerback and safety.

Other corners are Williams, Bennett, Krol and Barnett. Kropka said Ludolph can also play both positions and has looked good.

Others listed include Keenan Lucey, Charlton, Little, Chuckie Thompson, Jermale Thompson, Turner, Possage, Mercer, Kropka, Shaw, Conter, Mulvey and Christian Shutler.

Kropka said the special teams are starting to come around. Theaker will do the placekicking, with Lee handling the kickoffs. Williams will once again do the punting.

Martins Ferry’s schedule has undergone significant changes from last season, but still includes rivals Bellaire, Shadyside, St. Clairsville, Weir and Wheeling Central. Lancaster Fisher Catholic also returns. New opponents are Fairfield Christian, Berne Union, Newcomerstown and Tusky Valley.

“People have to remember that we are a small school now,” Kropka said. “It’s nice to run out on the field and see teams with the same number of kids that you have. The schedule will settle in as time goes by.”

Kropka has just one addition to his coaching staff, that being former Purple Rider Zach Coole who will work with the defensive tackles.

The varsity staff includes Bryan Mays, Gregg Bahen, Austin Yackey, John Bennett, Curt Secrist, Mikale Roby, Shane Gasmire, Chuck Haggerrty and Matt Shreve. The trainer is Spencer Sninchak. The strength and conditioning coach is Josh Pyles.

The Purple Riders finished 4-6 last fall.